| abstract |
7-ethyl-10-hydroxy camptothecin (HECPT), an active metabolite of the camptothecin analog CPT-11 which is used as an anticancer drug, is poorly soluble in water. Because of its poor water solubility, HECPT has not been directly administered by parenteral or oral routes in human patients for the purpose of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. There is also unpredictable interpatient variability in the metabolic production of HECPT from CPT-11 which limits the utility of CPT-11. This invention overcomes these limitations by teaching novel pharmaceutically acceptable lactone stable HECPT formulations for the direct administration of lactone stable HECPT formulations orally or parenterally to patients with various forms of cancer. |